What kind of cutting board(s) do you have? What do you consider the ideal material for a cutting board?

I'm in the market for a new one. The last ones I've had were plastic, because they're easy to clean, but I know they're not the most environmentally friendly, and also not the healthiest option (in terms of bacterial growth and also shedding plastic). My boyfriend has been trying to convince me to get a glass one because it would be the easiest to clean, and least likely to harbor bacteria, but I think I would go nuts using glass (and I know they do a number to your knives). I'm thinking of wood and would love to hear your experiences.

Edited to add a missing conjunction.

_________________Ain't no guarantees in life, and nothing that comes out of my vagina can change that. - Erika Soyf*cker

I use wood. A pain to clean, but whatever. Do NOT get glass. Not only do they do a number on your knives, but they're loud! Would not reccomend. I might actually ditch the wood some time and go plastic.

_________________Half the lies I tell are not true."luckily us vegans dont go into cardiac arrest...but we do go into food comas" - Adam Crisis

I never have any trouble cleaning my bamboo one, but maybe because I'm not like...really clean and a little brush off with a damp towel is all it needs in my gross opinion. The only time I really wash it is if I do something stupid like cut a melty daiya sandwich on it and then there's daiya glue on it.

Oh man. I've only ever used glass at friends' houses, and it's awful! I feel like I am going to both ruin the knife and shatter the board. And the sound! Awful!

I have a plastic one and I like it alright. There are new composite ones that are supposed to be knife friendly, anti-bacterial and can be thrown in the dishwasher! That's probably what I'll go for when I need a new one.

_________________"I'd rather have dried catshit! I'd rather have astroturf! I'd rather have an igloo!"~Isa

"But really, anyone willing to dangle their baby in front of a crocodile is A-OK in my book."~SSD

I have an assortment of shitty plastic ones from IKEA and one giant butcher block that's too heavy to drag out of the cupboard for regular use. Oh, and a wooden one shaped like a pig that my dad made me!

I really want one of those epicurean ones that can go in the dishwasher.

Do NOT get glass. Not only do they do a number on your knives, but they're loud! Would not reccomend. I might actually ditch the wood some time and go plastic.

Yeah, I was at a cottage in the summer and working on a glass cutting board and I NEVER cut myself at home but I came so close so many times with the glass cutting board because it's extra slippery and I'm used to the plastic cutting board sort of grounding my blade on the downstroke so it doesn't slip. You don't get that with glass, your blade slipslides so you have to slow down and be more careful when choppin'.

I have plastic at home, at this point. One big one that I use when I'm cutting up lots of veg or voluminous veg (i.e., potatoes, squash, leafy greens and it comes out for stews, soups and salads preps and the like) and a smaller cutting board (plastic) that's for everything else (mincing up cloves of garlic, shallots, green onions, parsley--smaller vegetables) and smaller jobs and is more for garnish-y preps.

I have another small wood one as back up (I tend to use the smaller ones because live alone and do a lot of cooking for one) and several slats have fallen off of this (in the dishwasher) and so it's surface area is shrinking and it's narrow. More a cutting plank and it's the least used in my kitchen but serves in a pinch when my others are occupied.

I cannot recommend this kind of cutting board enough. It has the benefits of all the other kinds of cutting boards put together. Dishwasher safe. Easy on knives. (Though looking at the reviews on Amazon, I'd avoid the black ones.)

Right now I have some crappy plastic ones which are meh, but wood is really my favorite. I used to have some nice heavy wood butcher-block type ones and they're great... they don't slide around, don't clatter etc. With wood you have to be mindful of warping though (don't leave it soaking in water forever!)

I did a bunch of research on this back when we lived in a place with tile countertops (THE WORST THING EVER).

If you have nice knives and want to keep them nice, straight-up hardwood is the way to go.

Glass and ceramic are obviously pretty awful. I don't know why they even make them.

Bamboo is actually hard enough that it'll dull your knives.

Plastic is fine, but gets harder to clean the longer you use it.

I got a pretty nice hardwood cutting board a while back. It was about 30 bucks but has been worth it. Compare this to an Ikea wooden cutting board that got wet and instantly warped into almost a U-shape, even though I'd sanded and sealed it with oil and wax...

The nice thing about hardwood is that if it gets beat up and the finish wears down, you can sand it down and reseal it with hot food-grade mineral oil and wax. I've done this a couple of times with the board we use now, and it's not hard. It takes an hour or two, but you only have to do it once every year or so, and honestly, if you didn't want to, you could probably get away without doing it for much longer.

I haven't used the Epicurean ones, but I've seen them in the fancy kitchen store here... I'd probably give it a try next time around.

I cannot recommend this kind of cutting board enough. It has the benefits of all the other kinds of cutting boards put together. Dishwasher safe. Easy on knives. (Though looking at the reviews on Amazon, I'd avoid the black ones.)

I second this - I have 2 and they're awesome. Get the version with rubber corners, the ones without slide around the counter a little, but the ones with rubber corners are perfect. They're thin, light, dishwasher safe and don't mess up your knives.

I have a wooden one that my mother gave me when I got married, 20 years ago. She bought it probably 30 years ago in Switzerland, and I use it very often. I wash it by hand (no dishwasher) with the rest of the dishes, with hot water and dishwashing soap. Never oiled it or anything else...it still looks like the day she gave it to me.

I also have a plastic one that is a bit larger and I use for it larger chopping jobs, but it's harder to clean.

I cannot recommend this kind of cutting board enough. It has the benefits of all the other kinds of cutting boards put together. Dishwasher safe. Easy on knives. (Though looking at the reviews on Amazon, I'd avoid the black ones.)

I have the black one and haven't had any issues. I put it in the dishwasher too.

I also have a hardwood one that I love. Also totally freaked out one day when the boy cut meat on it accidentally. We have separate cutting boards cause this bothers me a lot for some reason. At least it wasn't raw.

But anyway, I like hardwood ones the best. I've had plastic and wood. Bamboo tends to split apart. Plastic ones got moldy. Another thing I noticed since my boyfriend eats meat is that when he cuts chicken there's like a disgusting layer of it left on the plastic board that doesn't happen when he cuts it on hardwood. But a good solid hardwood one will last forever.

I never have any trouble cleaning my bamboo one, but maybe because I'm not like...really clean and a little brush off with a damp towel is all it needs in my gross opinion. The only time I really wash it is if I do something stupid like cut a melty daiya sandwich on it and then there's daiya glue on it.

That's me!

My plastic boards got super gross and smelly after two years, despite using lots of washing soda on it, so now I'm back to wood/bamboo.

I have a glass board for cutting soft juicy stuff that I don't want to stain my wooden board with, but I don't use it nearly as often now that I don't have to deal with gross dairy mozzarella juice anymore. Mostly use it for beets.

I use bamboo and wood. I sharpen my knives often enough that the little dullness from the bamboo doesn't bug me. I used to use plastic. Worst decision ever. It gets scratched up from the sharp knives. Glass also (as said above) sucks.

i have a few plastic ones. i switch them out when they get gross, and they get used in the garden or for something so i don't feel too bad about using them. my partner is not vegan and occasionally dirties them with biohazards so i bleach them occasionally. i did just find a bamboo one recently but it is laminate and i think it would split. i have a hardwood one but it's the meaty one and i prefer not to use it.

I use plastic because I like to be able to toss them the dishwasher - only problem I've had was when I sat a hot cast iron skillet on one and it melted a little and looks gross, so I don't use that side anymore :)

I have several plastic IKEA ones and a big honkin bamboo one. The bamboo one gets really stinky so it needs a vinegar bath every now and then. I like plastic ones...easy to clean, light. Not the best for the environment, though.

_________________Did you notice the slight feeling of panic at the words "Chicken Basin Street"? Like someone was walking over your grave? Try not to remember. We must never remember. - mumblesIs this about devilberries and nazifruit again? - footface

I have a couple nice plastic ones I use most of the time. I also have a big butcher block one that is nice and I used to use, but I have to sand it down and re-oil it. I have to say that I prefer wood, only because you can refinish it and make it almost new.

I have a wooden one I inherited from my great-grandmother. I rinse it by hand, using soap only if I cut something that stained it beyond the cleaning power of running water, but since I mostly use it to chop onions and garlic and other vegetables, it's not that often (mostly chocolate). Because of that, the side I use for garlic and onions smells of garlic a little, so I use that side for vegetables, and the other side for sweet things (I had muffins taste like garlic once I chopped a chocolate bar on the garlic side).I should probably sand it and oil it, but on the other hand it works great as is.

_________________I dunno, I guess I just get enthused over eating big ol' squishy balls. - Interrobang?!

I have a glass and 4 very thin plastic ones. My expensive wood board split and started growing mold so I haven't been able to replace it. The glass one is old and yes, it's loud but I've gotten used to it. The four plastic ones came as a set, and they're in different shapes so you could differentiate what each one is for. One is shaped like a chicken, one a fish, one a slice of bread and one a tomato. I use them for veggies pretty often because then I can just transfer everything I've cut into the pot or pan with the cutting board. When my husband makes chicken, he absolutely uses the chicken one. I really like that they're easy to clean and I can just pop them in the dishwasher.

A store in town where I live has these beautiful wood cutting boards - they are amazing and apparently super durable. Too bad their huge, leave it out all the time sized board is over $300.

_________________Anyone for some German Shepherd Pie? - daisychainWell! Fruit is stupid! These onions taste nothing like fruit! - allularpunkDwarf-tossing for God: A Story of Hope - Invictus

I bought bamboo cutting boards and hate them! I couldn't figure out why my knives were getting so dull until solipsistnation mentioned it in another thread. I love the idea of wood/butcher block but judging from my experience with my bamboo boards I will never, ever keep up with the necessarly oiling.

I am all over those Epicurean boards. They look like just what I want!

I have a large bamboo board and a small bamboo board. My roommate has a plastic one for when he wants to cut meat.

I love my bamboo boards. I haven't had any problems with them and they are both a few years old. I don't have a dishwasher, so they get a dip in soapy water with a bit of a scrub when needed (after cutting smelly/colorful things) and a rinse with water or just brushed off otherwise. They still look awesome. My knives don't seem to need sharpened any more than they did when I used a plastic board, but maybe I sharpen them enough that it isn't a problem.